There’s an up and coming trend of fresh graduates starting their own businesses nowadays. However, many resist and are put off by the supposed “risk factors” – therefore, not brave enough to take that leap of faith. This should not be the case – and here are 6 reasons why it’s not such a “risky” and “reckless” decision after all:

1. You have fewer responsibilities
Sure, you probably have a lot of debt beneath you. But put this aside and chances are that as a new graduate you do not have children or mortgage repayments that are riding on your paychecks. For many people who go on to start a business later on in life when they may have more financial restrictions or other time consuming responsibilities, it can be very difficult to find the time and money to dedicate to starting a business. As a graduate however, you have less of these restrictions, which opens you up to being able to work on your business more. Likewise, it’s more viable for you to take on part-time work to support yourself during the early stages of developing your business.
 

2. Your brain is in learning mode so you can make the most of resources
It can be difficult to get into a scholarly mindset. For many new entrepreneurs that have had a long time since studying, it can be a difficult to transition to managing their own time and directing their own learning. But, as a graduate, you are likely more accustomed conducting your own learning and may find the transition easier. This is an advantage for you because there are a plethora of resources available for emerging business owners, providing information on every stage of running a business. Informi, for example, is a great resource especially for those who have no experience in developing a business because it’s written to be easy to digest and interesting to use.

 
3. Funding available and getting better
Financing your business venture is universally agreed to be one of the biggest constraints to your business flourishing. Thankfully, options for obtaining funding are finally beginning to increase. With a little bit of work, it’s possible to find many funding options to help get your business off of the ground. For instance, Innovate UK is a government run funding body that in 2017 provided funding of £561 million for those working in manufacturing/materials, technology, health or life sciences and infrastructure development. Likewise, Teresa May has pledged £2 billion in funding for emerging technology businesses in 2020 especially those that use AI and robotics.
 

4. You’ll learn more from self-dependency
While, yes, there is a lot to be said for the benefits of having the support of a corporate framework while you find your career feet, there is also a lot to be said for being thrown in at the deep end and working out how to do it all by yourself. It’s not for everyone, certainly. But those that can manage to find their own ways to support themselves may do better in the long run, as once you have found your independence you are better able to cope with problems in the future. In contrast, having the support of a corporate framework may allow you to function in that specific situation but less flexible when it comes to joining other companies or going it alone.
 

5. You can work according to your working pattern
By now you probably know how you work best. You may find that you do your best work early in the morning and prefer to have your evenings free. You may do better to work in the middle of the night – or a few intense days with more days free – or longer days where there is less pressure to use every second of time well. Whatever it is, joining a corporate program often means that you need to adapt to a work schedule that suits the company and everyone else that you are working alongside which may not actually be beneficial in the long run. Being self-employed means that you can work whenever you need to, potentially improving your efficiency.
 

6. Less risk
More than anything, it’s less risky to start a business at this stage of your career. Taking 2 or 3 years to work out whether entrepreneurship is for you right now is more financially viable when you have less financial commitments, and also means that you won’t be leaving a career behind to try it out. For many, stepping into entrepreneurship means taking a big risk not just on the business but also into whether they have the personal capability to pull it off. If it doesn’t work out, as it doesn’t for the majority of start-ups, then they face trying to get back into a field or position that they left behind. For a new graduate, however, it’s still easy to start over again if it ends up not working out for you – for whatever reason. In fact, attempting to start your own business may even be something that some employers find attractive and may boost your chances of getting into an employed role.